The French Alps are a hiker’s paradise. In the summer months you can make countless beautiful hikes here. We camped in Val-des-Prés near the town of Briançon in the Hautes-Alpes department. From there you have many hiking options. Are you looking for a comfortable hike, not too heavy, but a very special one? Then the hike to Lac de la Douche is for you! But you’re ready for a picture perfect hike in the French Alps!
Start the walk in Le Casset
The starting point of this walk is in the village of Le Casset. Typically a sleepy French mountain village where a handful of hikers provide some form of liveliness in the summer months. Find the parking lot (next to the river) and from there the walk is well signposted. In fact, you don’t even need signs because there is only one way up.
The first part of the hike is very quiet uphill. Only at the end does the climb get steeper. I made this hike when I was almost 20 weeks pregnant and then it is sometimes a bit tough, but experienced hikers – or anyone in good condition – does not turn around for this. That also makes it a very suitable walk to do with children.
There and back, the walk to Lac de la Douche is a route of 8.5 kilometers with 400 meters of altitude. It took us more than 3 hours, but I must admit that we often stopped for pictures along the way. It is a very beautiful, photogenic walk.
▸ Tip: Lac de la Douche is located in Parc National des Écrins, one of the French national parks. A gigantic nature park with mountain peaks around 4,000 meters high. One of the most famous walks in des Écrins is the GR54. It is a long hike of 180 km, if Lac de la Douche is not enough for you.
From the starting point in the village you walk very quietly up. The first part is quite wooded. Getting lost is really impossible as long as you stay on the trail. In the summer, the water flows down here via a narrow river, which not only provides a soothing sound on the way, but also ensures very beautiful pictures. Stop in time to have a drink and enjoy the view!
Picture perfect Lac de la Douche
Once at the top, it’s high time to grab your camera, if you haven’t already. The mountain lake Lac de la Douche is beautiful. With turquoise, clear water and high Alpine peaks in the background, it is a particularly beautiful place. You can cross the water via a narrow wooden path.
Incidentally, Lac de la Douche does not necessarily have to be the end point of your hike in the French Alps. You can go further up if you’d like. And people come down who have done another hike. But if that’s okay with you, you can just take the same way back down. That may not be very exciting, but the view down is completely different and therefore just as beautiful!
▸ Tip: camping in the French Alps
Are you looking for a nice camping spot in the French Hautes Alpes for the summer? We chose Huttopia Camping La Clarée. A very nice campsite in a super quiet place with a swimming pool and beautiful views of the mountains.
